With Rain on the Way, Oak Creek Canyon Forest Land to Close Thursday

Recently, Coconino National Forest officials announced that all forest lands in Oak Creek Canyon will close due to high flooding danger. As Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports, with rain predicted later in the week, the start date of the closure has been moved up.

A severely burned area in Oak Creek Canyon as a result of the Slide Fire, just north of Slide Rock State Park.

Credit Ryan Heinsius

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The order, initially slated to begin next week, will now take effect Thursday. According to forest managers, monsoon rains could trigger floods, mudslides and debris flows in the burn area of the recent Slide Fire. A primary concern to officials is the difficulty they could face during an emergency in communicating with the public and conducting evacuations.

All national forest lands in Oak Creek Canyon will be off limits to the public until the end of monsoon season. The closure area stretches from the switchbacks on State Route 89A south to Schnebly Hill Road in Sedona. All campgrounds and roadside pullouts in the canyon will be also be closed. Private, state, county and other non-national forest land will not be affected by the closure.

Last week, forest officials began seeding and mulch treatments of the most severely burned areas in and around Oak Creek Canyon. Their hope is to mitigate the heavy runoff that’s expected during monsoon rains. Also, in cases of emergency, a siren system will be used to alert anyone in the canyon.

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The San Juan Fire burning southeast of Show Low is now 70 percent contained and 6,975 acres in size. Crews are conducting mop-up and rehabilitation efforts in the burn area.

At t 8 a.m. this morning, the evacuation order for Red Cabin Ranch, Whiting Homestead and Carlock Ranch was lifted along with the pre-evacuation order for Greens Peak Hideaway and Hidden Meadows.

There are currently 624 personnel on scene including four hotshot crews and two helicopters. A partial closure of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests remains in effect.

The fire was human caused and is under investigation.

Update, Wed, July 2, 8 a.m.:

The San Juan Fire is now 15 percent contained and 6,975 acres in size. The blaze's increase in size is mostly due to burnout operations. In total, 679 personnel are fighting the fire. Crews have also begun conducting rehabilitation work on the burn area.

A public meeting will be held at the Vernon Fire Station Wednesday night at 6 p.m.

Update, Tue, July 1, 9 a.m.:

The San Juan Fire burning 18 miles southeast of Show Low is now 6,400 acres and 5 percent contained. It is burning on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests and the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

Mandatory evacuations remain in effect for Red Cabin Ranch, Whiting Homestead and Carlock Ranch. Pre-evacuation notices have been given to Greens Peak Hideaway and the Hidden Meadows Ranch. The fire's burn area has been closed to the public and road blocks are in place.

A total of 683 personnel are on scene. Overnight operations were successful in removing fuel between constructed fire lines. Crews are conducting burnout operations on the west side of the fire, and overnight operations expanded the fire by about 700 acres. Fire growth in the coming days will likely be as a result of the burnouts. Mop-up operations are being conducted on the north and east sides of the fire.

Heavy smoke as a result of the fire has been present in low-lying areas. The fire was human caused and is under investigation. For updates on the San Juan Fire, see 311info.net.

Update, Mon, June 30, 7:30 a.m.:

The San Juan Fire burning 18 miles southeast of Show Low is now at 5,700 acres and 5 percent containment. A total of 679 personnel are on scene. Successful burnout operations overnight removed fuel between constructed fire lines and the main body of the fire.

Travel on Highway 60 may be affected today due to settling smoke from last night's operations.

A public meeting will be held at the Vernon Fire Station at 6 p.m. Monday night with fire managers and representatives from the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

Mandatory evacuations remain in place for Red Cabin Ranch, Whiting Homestead and Carlock Ranch. Pre-evacuation notices have been given to Greens Peak Hideaway and Hidden Meadows Ranch. A closure is also in effect for the fire area in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

This week, the Coconino National Forest began an aggressive treatment of Oak Creek Canyon’s most severely burned areas from the Slide Fire. As Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports, one part of that process is so-called heli-mulching.

Officials say the San Juan Fire burning on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in the White Mountains has forced evacuations of 30 homes in the Red Cabin Ranch and Whiting Homestead areas. According the 12 News, a dozen more homes are threatened and a pre-evacuation notice has been given for residents of Greens Peak Hideaway.

The Red Cross has set up a shelter for evacuees at Round Valley Middle School in Eagar at 126 W. 2nd St.

According to officials with the Coconino National Forest, crews are responding to a small fire at the southeast base of Mt. Elden in Flagstaff. Currently, it's less than one acre in size and is burning north of the Flagstaff Ranger District office on Highway 89. Smoke will likely be noticeable from town. KNAU will report more information as it becomes available.